Tomorrow, May 5, 2011, the public could lose its right to request information about quality of care in hospitals, under a proposed government amendment to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Provincial MPPs will be voting on an amendment to Bill 173 that would allow a hospital to refuse any request for information or reports on quality of care in that hospital. This is the kind of information patient and health advocates need to understand how well our system and individual hospitals are working. PLEASE ACT NOW TO PROTECT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN HOSPITALS.

If you have already responded to an action alert on this issue – THANK YOU! Please do so again TODAY. Tomorrow is the vote. We can win this if enough Ontarians say to government in clear terms that high quality care means transparency and accountability in health quality information.

Send an action alert below to Premier Dalton McGuinty, other party leaders and MPPs directly and ask them to preserve your access to information on quality of care in hospitals.

Background

On Thursday, April 21, President-elect Rhonda Seidman-Carlson presented RNAO’s submission on Bill 173, to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. The Committee listened carefully and indicated willingness to reword the amendment to make the exemption of health quality information less sweeping. However the government is still proposing a blanket exemption of hospital health quality information and records from freedom of information requests. That’s why it’s so important to write TODAY!!

Time is short. Please act NOW and tell the Premier and MPPs that enhancing quality in our health care system means more, not less, public accountability and transparency.

The Action

Send an action alert below and urge the Premier, other Party leaders and Committee Members to withdraw the amendment that reduces public accountability and transparency.

For More Information

Read RNAO’s submission on Bill 173 and an exchange between RNAO and the Ontario Hospital Association on Bill 173.